By Brenda Eubanks Burnette
I was honored this year to be part of the Vero Heritage Center and Indian River Citrus Museum’s “Deeply Rooted” event, which was the kick-off for Indian River County’s Centennial Celebration. It made me think of this year’s Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inductees. They all have something in common with deep roots — Polk County!
ADAMS
The first, Charles W. “Doc” Adams, ran a successful dentistry office in Michigan before making the move to Lake Alfred and becoming involved in the citrus industry in 1911. He eventually partnered with James “Mac” Morrow and Lyn Kirkland to form Adams Packing Company in Auburndale. Adams married Emmie Reynolds, the sister of Bob Reynolds, his production manager.
Adams’ groves were considered the first to reach over 1,000 acres, resulting in the need for a steady supply of fertilizer. So, he acquired a marble chip and stucco plant that he turned into Growers Fertilizer, employing Sam Killebrew Sr. as shop foreman. That success evolved into a juice plant, then a state-of-the-art concentrate plant that became the fifth largest in Florida. It was eventually bought out by RC Cola in the 70s, when other corporate brands were investing heavily in the citrus industry. Coca-Cola acquired Minute Maid, Pepsi acquired Tropicana, and Procter & Gamble acquired Ben Hill Griffin’s processing plant. What’s unique about this inductee and his company? Well, Morrow, Kirkland, Reynolds and Killebrew are all members of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame!
GRAHAM
Next, we have Jim Graham, who came to the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred in 1981, the year I was Florida Citrus Queen — a lucky coincidence! He started with freezes and worked through diaprepes, canker, phytophthora, canker again and then HLB. Graham was hired by Herman Reitz, another Hall of Famer, and his previous work in Oregon and California helped him make great strides in connecting root health to the battle against both phytophthora and HLB.
With over 40 years of experience as a soil microbiologist, Graham’s willingness to go the extra mile and get into the groves to help growers solve problems, along with his ability to explain his research through real-world applications, has made him a trusted resource throughout the industry. His ability to call on fellow colleagues throughout the world and ask for their input has given the Florida citrus industry a unique opportunity to expand HLB research exponentially because of his connections.
RICHEY
And then there’s Dan Richey, who came to Florida to play baseball at Florida Southern College. He met his wife, Audrey Knight, whose father, Victor Knight, Sr. (yet another Hall of Famer!) asked him to join the family business at Riverfront Groves. Knowing nothing at all about agriculture or the citrus industry, Richey’s response was yes, but only if he could start at the bottom and learn the business from the ground up.
He accomplished this feat with “typical Dan determination,” eventually learning the industry inside out and becoming one of the most sought after “go to” authorities on Florida citrus throughout the world. His grasp of the big picture and his ability to work behind the scenes to move projects forward has benefited the industry in numerous ways. This includes government funding for weather disasters, negotiating trade agreements and keeping export markets open during various battles with pests and diseases.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
All three of this year’s inductees will be honored on March 28, in Polk County, at Dan’s alma mater, Florida Southern College, in the George W. Jenkins Fieldhouse.
Polk County used to be the center of the citrus industry. Although times have changed, those roots still run deep. In this instance, the three inductees have Polk County roots that span over a century and include six members of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Join us March 28 to honor their accomplishments!
Brenda Eubanks Burnette is executive director of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Pieces of the Past is presented in partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center in Lakeland.
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